Can aligning apparatus



J1me 1955 L. c. BLANKSCHEIN, JR 3,190,433

CAN ALIGNING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet 1 K EW 'Iil'" 5x Eli INVENTOR.

LEONARD C ARL BLANKSCHEIN, J R.

ATTORNEY June 22, 1965 L. c. BLANKSCHEiN, JR 3,190,433

C-ANALIGNING APPARATUS Filed Jung 5, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY LEONARDCARL BLAN HE|N,JR. BY

June 22, 1965 1.. c. BLANKSCHEIN, JR

CAN ALIGNING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 5, 1963 INVENTOR LEONARD CARL BLANKS EIN,JR BY MM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,190,433 CAN ALIGNHNG APFARATUS Leonard Carl Blanlrsehein, din, Berwyn, Eli, assignor to Cities Service Uil 'Ccmpany, New Yorlr, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed lune *5, 1963, Ser. No. 235,725 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-33) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for orienting cylindrical cans of the type having a greater length than diameter and a bottom on one end and an open opposite end. More particularly this invention relates to such a method and apparatus wherein the cans are fabricated from either a magnetic or non-magnetic material and are carried within horizontal flights of an endless conveyor revolving in a predetermined inverted C-shaped path.

Although various methods and apparatus are known for orienting cylindrical cans moving within an are or inverted C-shaped path no effective apparatus has been previously devised for efficiently orienting both magnetic and non-magnetic cans in such apparatus.

it is an object of this invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for orienting cans with their open ends in one direction from a series of cans lying in a hori zontal position with their open ends facing opposite directions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for aligning a plurality of cans lying on their sides and supported in spaced parallel lifting flights moving in an inverted C-shape path wherein the apparatus employs relatively few moving parts, and where the cans are rolled within cooperative guide means by the lifting flights on to an inclined slide with sufficient momentum to compensate for frictional losses occasioned on said means and at a sufficiently high speed to be tilted into alignment by the use of a balancing edge on the slide.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of constructions and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of the can aligning apparatus of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective and partially cut away View of a portion of the can aligning apparatus of this invention: and

FIGURE 3 is a partly cutaway fragmentary view showing a conveyor flight.

FIGURES 4, and 6 are partly cut away perspective views taken on lines 4-4, 55, and 6-6 of FIGURE 2 showing various stages in the aligning of cans in accordance with this invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar reference numerals are used to designate similar parts, there is shown a sorting and aligning apparatus comprising a frame ill, and endless lifting and carrying conveyor 12 made from a pair of endless edge chains 14 which have a plurality of can supporting and lifting flights 16 secured to and extending between the edge chains in spaced parallel relationship. The flights 16 have rounded ends 17 to prevent damage to the cans. The endless conveyor 12 in in an inverted or reversed C-shape and the conveyor is driven to move continuously around such a path in the direction indicated in the drawings. Conveyors of this type for lifting cans are illustrated in U. S. Patent 2,916,- 133 which issued on December 8, 1959 and for the sake of completeness the disclosure of that patent is incorporated herein. The edge chains 14 move within guide plates 18 and 20 which are roughly of an inverted Oshape. Guide plates 1% and 2d are shown in the cutout portion of FIGURE 1. The conveyor 12 is driven by a motor,

3,190,433 Patented June 22, 1965 which is not shown, but which can be conventional. Cans C are positioned on their sides on the inner and lower portion 22 of the conveyor 12 by suitable means and are lifted upwardly within the inverted C-shape path as the conveyor revolves.

As the conveyor 12 continues its upward movement and starts to move into the overhand portion of the inverted C-shape path a guide plate 24 is provided to prevent the cans from falling out from the flights 16. Each flight 16 contains spacers 26 in order-to keep each can within a substantially predetermined vertical plane. The width between spacers 26 is less than twice the length of each can and preferably greater than the length of each can but less than the length plus the width of such can. If the width between spacers 26 is as great or greater than twice the length of each can the equipment can be easily jammed. Also if the width between the spacers 26 is greater than the length of a can plus its diameter a can may be on its side and another can may be standing on its top or bottom between adjacent spacers and this will cause the machinery to jam and may prevent either can from falling out of the flight when it attains its inverted position. The spacers 26 are aligned in vertical planes. A support plate 28 extends forwardly of plate 24 and, as in the case of plate 24, keeps the cans from falling out of the flights. Plates 24 and 28 can be one continuous plate or other form of guide and support means. As shown, plates 24 and 28 are separate and plate 28 is at a slightly lower level than 24. Plate 28 can be supported by risers such as St) and 32 which can be attached to the frame it). The cans within each flight are moved along the surface of the support plates 24 and 28 due to the conveyor flights in pushing the can in the inverted C-shaped path.

Between support plate 28 and flights 16 near their uppermost and forward position are guide means 34. Guide means 34 are aligned with spacers 26 and receive and guide the cans as they roll on the support plate 28 and as they move off of support plate 28 to slide 36. Guide means 34 are attached to plate 28. The conveyor and flights roll the cans along support plate 28 at a relatively high speed and impart sufficient momentum to the can so even when the flights 16 are no longer in contact with the cans due to their upward movement the cans roll within the predetermined path of the guide means to a downwardly sloping slide 35 away from the conveyor at a relatively fast speed. Guide means 38 on slide 35 are aligned with guide means 34 on plate 28 to receive the rolling cans. Guide means 38 converge along the slide to guide the cans on to a balancing edge which is positioned on the slide 35 centrally of the guide means 38. The slide 36 can be subdivided with partitions 44 which separate the series of guide and balancing means.

The cans are delivered at a rapid rolling rate from conveyor 12 and are centrally supported for rolling on balancing edge ll). In this position the periphery of the bottom end of the can will be in rolling engagement with the slide 36 and as the can progressively rolls down balancing edge 4t) the guide means 38 progressively guide the bottom end of the can inwardly towards the balancing edge. At the same time since the guide means converge the can is progressively pushed inwardly toward the balancing edge 40 and in this manner the can which was originally oriented with its axis extending between the guide means is progressively tilted to a position with the axis of said can extending generally normal to slide 36. In effect the guide means progressively turn and tilt the can from a side by side rolling position to a pair of lines of cans having their open ends all projecting upwardly. Thus it will be seen from the drawings that prior to the cans reaching area 4 as indicated on the drawing the can will be changing position from that of rolling on its periphery to that of being at a slightly tilted angle due to the balancing edge 40 lifting the light end of the can upwardly. The tilting 7 cans of the type having a greater length than diameter and a bottom at one end and an open oppositeend comprising:

(a) an endless-conveyor positioned in a generally in-. J

verted C-shape path; H (b) a plurality of horizontally positioned can supporting and lifting flights for carrying said canson their sides along the conveyor, the ends of such cans re maining randomly oriented; I (c) a plurality of spacing elements in each flight, said spacing elements being aligned in vertical planes, the horizontal space between said spacing elements being greater than the. length of each can and less than twice the length thereof;

(d) a supporting plate for retaining the cans partly within said flights as-the' conveyor advances into the over-hanging portion of the=inverted C-shapepath;

(e) a slide positioned torec'eive the cans rolling, on

their sides from said supporting plate, said slide slanting downwardly away from the conveyor;

(f) a plurality of first guide means attached to said supporting plate and positioned between said supporting plate and saidflights, each of said guide means at one end being aligned with the spacing elements of the flights to receive and. guide saidcans and converging at the opposite end to approximately the length of said cans so as to direct the cans to predetermined positions along the top of said slide;

(g) a plurality of second guide means positioned on said slide,: each of said second guide means being spaced apart approximately the'length of said cans and aligned with said first guide means to receive the cans rolling onto said slide;

(h) a plurality of balancing edges, positioned on the slide, centrally of said second guide means, whereby therandomly oriented cans carried by saidfiights are separated and directed by means ofsaid spacing elements and said first guide meanslonto said balancing edges, thereby separating said cans into streams on either side of saidbalancing edge with each can i 1 aligned with its open end'upward.

2;. The apparatus of claim l in'which thedistance between spacing elements in each flight is greater than the length of each can and-less than the'sum of the length and diameter thereof. i

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the height of said second' guide means abovesaid slide decreases-while the heightof said balancing edge increases along said slide from the top to the bottom thereof, permitting the cans to gradually tilt and assume an essentially upright position, a portion of said upright cans'resting on the lower end of said second guide means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 and including vertically positioned partitions separating the series of second guide means and balancing edges, thereby further assuring against said cans falling onto their sides and jamming the aligning operation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED ,STATES PATENTS 2,775,334 12/56 Jeremiah 198-30 2,916,133 12/59 Copping c 198-30 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

ERNEST A. FALLER, 1a., Examiner. 

1. A CAN ALIGNING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF ALIGNING RANDOMLY ORIENTED MAGNETIC AND NON-MAGNETIC CYLINDRICAL CANS OF THE TYPE HAVING A GREATER LENGTH THAN DIAMETER AND A BOTTOM AT ONE END AND AN OPEN OPPOSITE END COMPRISING: (A) AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR POSITIONED IN A GENERALLY INVERTED C-SHAPE PATH; (B) A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY POSITIONED CAN SUPPORT ING AND LIFTING FLIGHTS FOR CARRYING SAID CANS ON THEIR SIDES ALONG THE CONVEYOR, THE ENDS OF SUCH CANS REMAINING RANDOMLY ORIENTED; (C) A PLURALITY OF SPACING ELEMENTS IN EACH FLIGHT, SAID SPACING ELEMENTS BEING ALIGNED IN VERTICAL PLANES, THE HORIZONTAL SPACE BETWEEN SAID SPACING ELEMENTS BEING GREATER THAN THE LENGH OF EACH CAN AND LESS THAN TWICE THE LENGTH THEREOF; (D) A SUPPORTING PLATE FOR RETAINING THE CANS PARTLY WITHIN SAID FLIGHTS AS THE CONVEYOR ADVANCES INTO THE OVER-HANGING PORTION OF THE INVERTED C-SHAPE PATH; (E) A SLIDE POSITIONED TO RECEIVED THE CANS ROLLING ON THEIR SIDE FROM SAID SUPPORTING PLATE, SAID SLIDE SLANTTHEIR SIDES FROM SAID SUPPORTING PLATE, SAID SLIDE SLANT(F) A PLURALITY OF FIRST GUIDE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORTING PLATE AND POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING PLATE AND SAID FLIGHTS, EACH OF SAID GUIDE MEANS AT ONE END BEING ALIGNED WITH THE SPACING ELEMENTS OF THE FLIGHTS TO RECEIVE AND GUIDE SAID CANS AND CONVERGING AT THE OPPOSITE END TO APPROXIMATELY THE LENGTH OF SAID CANS SO AS TO DIRECT THE CANS TO PREDETERMINED POSITIONS ALONG THE TOP OF SAID SLIDE; (G) A PLURALITY OF SECOND GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID SLIDE, EACH OF SAID SECOND GUIDE MEANS BEING SPACED APART APPROXIMATELY THE LENGTH OF SAID CANS AND ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST GUIDE MEANS TO RECEIVE THE CANS ROLLING ONTO SAID SIDE; (H) A PLURALITY OF BALANCING EDGES POSITIONED ON THE SLIDE CENTRALLY OF SAID SECOND GUIDE MEANS, WHEREBY THE RANDOMLY ORIENTED CANS CARRIED BY SAID FLIGHTS ARE SEPARATED AND DIRECTED BY MEANS OF SAID SPACING ELEMENTS AND SAID FIRST GUIDE MEANS ONTO SAID BALANCING EDGES, THEREBY SEPARATING SAID CANS INTO STREAMS ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID BALANCING EDGE WITH EACH CAN ALIGNED WITH ITS OPEN END UPWARD. 